Amid COVID-19, V Muraleedharan to visit Oman in 3rd high-level visit from India to West Asia

EAM S Jaishankar visited Bahrain and Kuwait and Indian Army chief General MM Naravane visited UAE and Saudi Arabia in the last few weeks.

New Delhi: Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan will be on a visit to Oman in the third high-level visit from India to West Asia amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The last few weeks have seen External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visiting Bahrain and Kuwait, followed by the visit of Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane to UAE and Saudi Arabia.  

MoS will on a visit to Oman on December 16-17 and will meet Oman's foreign and Labour minister and the large Indian community members. Oman hosts more than 600,000 Indians. PM Narendra Modi has spoken to Sultan of Oman Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik in April and both Indian and Omani Foreign ministers had a virtual meeting earlier in December.

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, India ensured that supply chains for food and other essential items functioned smoothly and facilitated the return of health professionals to Oman. Both countries event have an air bubble arrangement for travel and recently Oman announced that Indians will be exempted from entry visas for visiting Oman for a period of ten days.

The MEA release announcing the visit said, "India and Oman are linked by geography, history and culture and enjoy warm and cordial relations."

India sees west Asia as part of its extended neighbourhood, and the past few years have been increased engagement and high-level visits. The region which hosts a large number of Indians, a mostly blue-collar worker is also vital for India's energy security in terms of crude oil import.

Increasingly, India is engaging in defence cooperation and connectivity in the region. The recent normalization of ties of Arab states with Israel under the Abraham accords has been welcomed by India, as it sees many of its allies in the region, once estranged, now coming together.